Joël Matip

[Exiled_red]

No, I love the guy and when he's fit he's good, but we need to upgrade and get someone reliable in. We need to let him go and get in another younger fitter player, Inacio for example, we can't keep going relying on Matip, Konate and Gomez.

I think the defence is going to be the next big rebuild, VVD and Matip are both 33 in the summer and Gomez and Konate are yet to establish themselves consistently as first choice perhaps due to injuries or other factors.

[red g]

Not sure its needed with the Emergence of Quansah too? Quansah and Konate could have 10 years as a Partnership together?

And thats quite a strong back up for a few years!!

I think both the full back positions are more of a concern.

[danperkins]

IMO it's way, way too early to start thinking about Quansah being "the guy" & Konate, looks class sometimes, ropey others & seems fairly injury prone too. Gomez is never going to be a first team regular, he's just not good enough. There is a big rebuild right across that back line coming in the next few years.

[rudedog]

[ame]https://twitter.com/NoContextJMatip/status/1724190594321256799[/ame]

[Doc_Piptorious]

IMO it's way, way too early to start thinking about Quansah being "the guy" & Konate, looks class sometimes, ropey others & seems fairly injury prone too. Gomez is never going to be a first team regular, he's just not good enough. There is a big rebuild right across that back line coming in the next few years.

Nah Gomez has shown repeatedly that he is good enough for a club like Liverpool. Very few centre backs can play as comfortably as he can at RCB, LCB, LB and RB.


The issue with Gomez is that he is injury prone and takes a few games to get up to speed when coming back from an injury.


Konate is another that in terms of quality is more than good enough to be a starter, even moreso when one takes his age into account, but like Gomez and Matip it is minutes missed that is a bit of an issue.


Do agree we need to be either refreshing the back line or at the very least bringing in the younger guys we hope will be the replacements in six to 12 months time.


Would sooner have the replacements in six months before we need them than wait a year more than we should to start bringing in fresh blood. We delayed too long with the midfield and I hope we have learned a lesson from that.

Think an arguement could be made that if Matip leaves in seven months time on a free that we need two CBs and a FB to come in. What the break down between nailed on starter or one for the future needs to be with incomings is another discussion, but the injuries we have most seasons at the back along with Matip's contract situation makes me think we need the numbers to come in.

[RedReet]

https://twitter.com/NoContextJMatip/...90594321256799

It goes without saying that Tierney was absolutely brutal again.

[BG1973]

Tbf I thought he was okay...apart from that.

[super_xabi]

...


Would sooner have the replacements in six months before we need them than wait a year more than we should to start bringing in fresh blood. We delayed too long with the midfield and I hope we have learned a lesson from that.

...

This is definitely the case and we must make sure we don't go down that path again. Over the next season or 2 it could be argued we need to replace 3 out of the back 4 - actual first teamers too.

Can't afford to be too loyal again

[Doc_Piptorious]

This is definitely the case and we must make sure we don't go down that path again. Over the next season or 2 it could be argued we need to replace 3 out of the back 4 - actual first teamers too.

Can't afford to be too loyal again

Think two seasons would risk a similar situation to what we saw in midfield.


Right now in terms of senior defenders we have


TAA - 25 but also with 19 months left on his contract. Need to extend or sell if he will not commit to extending. Talks were meant to be taking places mid last season and seemed to have gone nowhere.


Gomez - 26. Excellent back up imo but injury prone. Can only carry maybe one injury prone defender.


Matip - 32. Still an excellent starting level CB but 7 months left on his contract and injury prone.


Konate - Only 24 and defo nailed on starter level quality but is another that is has been injury prone his entire career to date.


VVD - 32. Dropped a level the past 12 months so now he is "only" one of the best CBs in the game rather than probably being the very best. Starter level but getting to an age where having a replacement in the wings makes sense.


Roberstson - 29. Quality player, still easily the best LB at the club and one of the best in europe but also maybe the player in the back line that has been most run into the ground.



Tsmikas - 27. Good back up left back but not the guiy to replace Robertson outright.



So add your maximum length of two season to all of them and suddenly we might need four or five players in terms of needeing starters and back ups.


We have Quansah who hopefully by then is either a solid back up or knipping at the heels of the starters. But think we come this January and next summer might need to bring in a left back, a starting level CB and a good back up CB and that is without the TAA contract side of things.

Think we need to have the back line sorted by next summer because the January and Summer after that will probably see us looking to replace Salah and maybe another attacker.

[baitman]

I wonder if trent is believing his own hype and fancies going to Madrid or Barca

[Charly]

I wonder if trent is believing his own hype and fancies going to Madrid or Barca

To he honest, his value was in the asists he wass getting from fullback.

No idea exactly what he is bringing to the team at the moment.

[RedReet]

Tbf I thought he was okay...apart from that.

Just because he didn't have the opportunity to make a big call against us, doesn't mean he had a good game.

It's the wee stupid calls that break up our momentum, calling innocuous challenges, preventing quick retakes, allowing quick retakes against us. How they spent so long analysing the Endo challenge is beyond me too, even if that wasn't necessarily his fault.

I didn't take much notice of exact decisions, just remember being frustrated at the prick. Also just looked at the stats and see we committed 16 fouls, despite only making 10 tackles. Obviously every foul isn't from a tackle, but it's a pretty unusual ratio. Brentford made 40% more tackles, but had 4 less fouls against (12). Had a quick look at some other matches, and this is pretty unusual.

He shouldn't be refereeing us, simple as.

[RedReet]

To he honest, his value was in the asists he wass getting from fullback.

No idea exactly what he is bringing to the team at the moment.

His ball to set up the first goal is exactly what he brings to the team from that position.

[SB]

It goes without saying that Tierney was absolutely brutal again.

Tbf I thought he was okay...apart from that.

Yep I’m with BG on this one. Nowhere near as bad as usual

[RedReet]

Yep I’m with BG on this one. Nowhere near as bad as usual

That shouldn't be the benchmark.